Gov. Beshear, Department of Criminal Justice Training Announces 28 Graduates of Public Safety Dispatch Academy Class 153
On November 3, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) announced that 28 dispatchers from across the state graduated from the Public Safety Dispatch Academy and are now ready to begin answering the call to aid both citizens and law enforcement officers of the commonwealth.
“Thank you for answering the call of service,” Gov. Beshear said. “Your mission is an important one, as you are now the lifeline to those facing some of their darkest times. Thank you for being a hero and the ears for our law enforcement and commonwealth.”
Dispatch basic training is mandatory for any sworn or civilian employee who will dispatch law enforcement officers by radio at a Criminal Justice Information Systems agency. Graduates of the academy have successful completed a highly structured and comprehensive curriculum to satisfy mandated training requirements. The graduates of Class 153 received 164 hours of academy instruction to satisfy these requirements over four weeks. Major training areas include identifying the role and responsibilities of the dispatcher, correct phone and radio procedures, handling emergency and non-emergency calls for service, emergency medical dispatch protocols and use of the state and national criminal databases.
“I am proud of your accomplishments while at the academy,” DOCJT Commissioner Nicolai Jilek said. “Your four weeks of training have laid a solid foundation for a rewarding career for years to come. I wish you the best of luck in your careers.”
Class 153 graduates and their agencies are:
Laura E. Applegate
Bracken County E-911
Madison Beichler
Kenton County Emergency Communications
Christi M. Benge
Rockcastle County 911
Eric S. Bryant
Knox County 911
Alyssa M. Castellini
Hopkinsville Police Department
Rebecca L. Fallon
Paris/Bourbon County 911
Gabe A. Gunther
Lexington Enhanced 911
Lori D. Hawkins
Lawrenceburg 911
Courtney M. Johns
Nelson County E-911
McKenzie L. Kline
University of Kentucky Police Department
Chandra L. Logsdon
Elizabethtown Police Department
Sisto Pedro Ash Mosqueda II
Fayette County Sheriff’s Office
Heather R. Nelson
Warren County Sheriff’s Office
Tiffany H. Newberry
Ohio County Sheriff’s Office
Madison K. Rakes
Campbellsville Police Department
Christina M. Runk
Lexington Enhanced 911
Adriana J. Sainsbury
Marshall County E-911
Michael R. Sallee
City of Paducah 911
Sarah Salyer
Ohio County Sheriff’s Office
Samantha R. Sprinkle
Elizabethtown Police Department
Penny L. Steen
Murray Police Department
Heather L. Summerall
London/Laurel County Communications Center
Heather R. Tolbert
Fulton County Sheriff’s Office
Gina M. Tringali
University of Kentucky Police Department
Allee K. Wesley
Bluegrass 911 Central Communications
Amanda R. West
Monticello/Wayne County 911
Christopher T. Whitehead
Bluegrass 911 Central Communications
Jamie E. Whitehead
Kenton County Emergency Communications
DOCJT provides basic training for city and county police officers, sheriffs’ deputies, university police, airport police throughout the state, only excluding Louisville Metro Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Bowling Green Police Department and the Kentucky State Police, which each have independent academies.
DOCJT is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). CALEA is seeking public input regarding DOCJT’s compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services, and overall candidacy for accredited status. Click here to submit comments.
Beshear-Coleman Administration Commitment to Making Kentucky a National Leader in Public Safety
The Beshear-Coleman administration’s top priority is the safety of all Kentuckians. The Governor's public safety actions are creating safer communities and a better Kentucky now and into the future.
Gov. Beshear has unveiled part of the administration’s upcoming budget plan to further protect law enforcement officers while making Kentucky a leader in public safety. The administration’s proposed budget includes an additional raise for state police troopers and officers, increased training stipend and an improved pension system for local and state law enforcement and funding for local law enforcement to purchase body armor.
In July, Gov. Beshear broke ground in Richmond on a new law enforcement training facility named in honor of Jody Cash, who lost his life in the line of duty May 16, 2022, while serving as chief deputy of the Calloway County Sheriff’s Office. Members of the Cash family, as well as state and local officials and staff from the Department of Criminal Justice Training, joined the Governor in taking a step forward to enhance the safety of Kentucky’s nearly 8,000 peace officers who risk their lives every day to protect Kentucky families.
Since taking office, Gov. Beshear has awarded more than $10 million in grant funding to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in purchasing the tools and resources that will not only allow them to protect Kentucky communities but will also ensure their safety as they stand on the front lines every day. In August, the administration awarded $2.1 million in grant funding to enhance public safety, curb the sale of illegal drugs and fight addiction.
In June 2022, Gov. Beshear announced the Military to Law Enforcement Program (M-2-LE). M-2-LE allows local law enforcement agencies in Kentucky to hire active service members within all U.S. military branches during their last 180 days of service. Upon being contracted by a law enforcement agency, the military member will continue to receive their pay and benefits from the U.S. Military while they undergo law enforcement training at the Department of Criminal Justice Training.
